Speedrun/Glossary

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The following page is a glossary of commonly used terms in the speedrunning community, particularly that of the Zelda series. For even further information on glitches, guides, knowledge, terminology, and more on Zelda speedruns, visit ZeldaSpeedRuns, also known as ZSR.

0-9

100%

In a 100% speedrun, the goal is to achieve 100% Completion as quickly as possible according to the requirements decided upon by the specific game's speedrunning community. Often referred to as "hundo".

A

All Dungeons (AD)

In an All Dungeons speedrun, the goal is to complete the game after completing every Dungeon.

Any%

In an Any% speedrun, the goal is simply to complete the game as quickly as possible, without additional requirements.

Arbitrary Code Execution (ACE)

A class of exploits in which the game is manipulated into executing unintended instructions as code. In speedrunning, ACE is typically achieved by redirecting the game to treat existing data in memory as executable logic, allowing the player to directly influence game behavior. This can result in effects such as warping to the end credits, modifying game state, or triggering outcomes far outside normal gameplay. Due to its power, ACE is commonly restricted or placed in its own category.

See ZeldaSpeedRuns's page on Stale Reference Manipulation and Arbitrary Code Execution

B

Back in Time (BiT)

Back in Time (BiT) is a glitch that can be performed in The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword. It involves resetting the game on a specific frame while voiding out, resulting in being respawned on the title screen with control over Link. This serves little to no use in The Wind Waker due to the limits of the title screen taking place at Outset Island, however it has large applications in Twilight Princess, and even greater applications in Skyward Sword.

In Twilight Princess, the title screen takes place in a developmental save file that the game uses to make the title sequence. When savewarping from the BiT state, the attributes of this file are applied to the main game, resulting in Link obtaining the Hero's Clothes, Ordon Sword, and Hylian Shield early, as well as having Epona tamed, thus gaining early access to the Iron Boots. Dying and reloading from the BiT state can also be used to gain quick access to the first King Bulblin fight, and subsequently Kakariko Village. There is also a variant of the glitch known as Back in Time Equipped (BiTE) that allows Link to keep his current equipment going into BiT, which allows for activating the "Early Boss Flag" (EBF), which makes it possible to skip rescuing the first four monkeys in the Forest Temple, as well as enter the Deku Toad fight early for the Clawshot.

In Skyward Sword, save files can be manipulated at the same time as controlling Link around Skyloft. The Bird Statues on Skyloft are accessible and fully functional in this state, which has great implications as save files can be copied, saved over, loaded, or deleted as Link performs different tasks that are associated with flags, or toggles in the game's memory that determine story progress. This allows a multitude of large skips in the game to be possible, especially with a trick known as Reverse BiT Magic (RBM), which involves loading a file, then performing a task within BiT during the small window of time between when the flag in the memory changes and when the file is loaded after a fadeout, which bypasses the flag being automatically reset to the game file's state that is being loaded upon loading said file.

Barrier Skip

Barrier Skip typically refers to skipping the large barrier near Hyrule Castle in The Wind Waker and gaining access to Ganon's Tower early without having to first complete the Triforce and fully restore the power to the Master Sword. For many years it was theorized and attempted, but its possibility was unknown until it was discovered that it could be skipped in The Wind Waker HD using Item Sliding at a very precise angle and spot. Some time afterward, a method for skipping the barrier in the GameCube version was discovered, which involved overloading the game's memory via arrow duping and unloading the actor for the barrier, soon to be followed by a faster and more streamlined method involving placing Link at a precise position and angle, then performing a frame-perfect bomb drop, which continues to be used now.

Barrier Skip is also a theoretical concept for Twilight Princess, in which it is commonly referred to as Early Hyrule Castle (EHC). The concept refers to skipping the barrier formed in front of Hyrule Castle to gain early access to the final dungeon of the game. This, however, has not yet been found to be possible, due to the limiting factors of the area that the barrier resides in, such as Link being unable to use any items while in Castle Town.

Blumber

A mix between the words Bomb and Slumber. In A Link to the Past, certain bosses may "slumber" away from Link's bombs. It's debatable whether seeding the RNG to prevent a Blumber saves or adds extra time.

Bomb Impact Launch (BIL)

Also popularly known as a Windbomb, a BIL is a trick in Breath of the Wild that allows Link to launch quickly in most any direction by going into bullet time, lining up both a circular and a square bomb behind him properly, then detonating one bomb, which causes the other bomb to launch directly into Link, "pushing" him and making him launch incredibly fast.

Boss Rush

Boss Rush refers to a mode or category in which the player fights a sequence of Bosses back-to-back, usually with little or no downtime between encounters. In speedrunning, this can exist either as an officially implemented game mode or as a player-defined category that recreates the concept within the base game.

In games where Boss Rush is built in, the order of Bosses is typically fixed, and the goal is to clear all encounters as quickly as possible, often under standardized rules such as preset gear, limited healing, or no saves between fights. For example, Skyward Sword includes the Thunder Dragon's Lightning Round, where Link refights major Bosses consecutively. Similarly, Ocarina of Time 3D features an official Boss Challenge mode unlocked after progressing through the game.

Bottle Adventure (BA)

See ZeldaSpeedRuns's page on Bottle Adventure

Bow Lift Smuggling Slide (BLSS)

A glitch in Breath of the Wild that allows Link to travel through the air at high speeds horizontally. The trick involves picking up any item over Link's head (often a square Remote Bomb) in a specific manner that causes him to also hold a Bow over his head simultaneously, then jumping and quickly unequipping his Shield, drawing the Bow, and walking over any step that would result in Link's "step-climbing" animation while holding sprint. This results in Link hovering in the air towards the opposite direction of what is being held on the control stick. If the control stick is inputted side-to-side very quickly, Link's speed will dramatically increase. If the control stick ever at any point reaches its neutral position, the glitch is undone and Link will fall back down to the ground.

Bug Limit (BL)

A category similar to Glitchless that often has a slightly less restrictive ruleset, but can vary depending on a specific game's speedrunning community.

C

Clipping

The act of passing through solid geometry or intended boundaries in a way that causes Link to enter out-of-bounds areas. Clipping typically describes the method used to escape the playable space, while out-of-bounds refers to the resulting state. Clipping is often achieved through glitches, collision errors, or unintended interactions with terrain or objects.

Co-op (Cooperative)

Co-op (Cooperative) refers to a speedrun format in which two or more players work together simultaneously to complete a game or category. Players may control separate characters, share control of a single file, or divide responsibilities depending on the game, setup, and community rules.

Co-op runs may be officially supported by the game (such as Multiplayer modes) or community-defined, using setups that allow multiple players to influence the same run. Because cooperative play can change routing and execution, co-op categories are typically tracked separately from solo runs.

Co-op runs emphasize coordination and communication, and often enable strategies that are not possible in single-player formats.

D

Damage Boost

The act of purposefully taking damage in order to save time or perform a skip. For example, blowing Link up with a Bomb in order to gain extra distance or height.

Dungeon Dice Monsters (DDM)

Dungeon Dice Monsters is a challenge-style speedrun category specific to Ocarina of Time Master Quest, in which the player completes the game by defeating Ganon after fully clearing all Dungeons and Mini-Dungeons under a defined checklist. The category emphasizes Dungeon completion and collection requirements rather than Overworld routing.

To complete a Dungeon Dice Monsters run, the player must obtain the following:

Maps, Compasses, and Boss Keys are not required unless they are necessary to access one of the listed objectives.

There is no documented official reasoning for the category’s name. It may refer to "Dungeon" as a requirement to complete all Dungeons, "Dice" as a reference to item acquisition or the chaotic nature of routing and execution, and "Monsters" as a reference to Enemies such as Golden Skulltulas. The name may also be a nod to the similarly titled Yu-Gi-Oh! Game Boy Advance game, though no direct connection has been established.

Deathwarp

The act of purposefully dying in order to reload Link in a more desirable location.

Dry Storage

See Storage

E

Early Master Sword (EMS)

This refers to the act of obtaining the Master Sword earlier than intended in the game, which is possible in several titles. More often than not, EMS saves a large amount of time in speedruns.

Emulator

An emulator is software that replicates the behavior of a game console or system, allowing games to be played on hardware other than their original platform. In the context of speedrunning, emulators are primarily used for practice, routing, and recording runs under controlled conditions.

Emulator usage is often regulated by community rules, as it can differ from original hardware in performance, timing, input handling, or available tools. As a result, many leaderboards distinguish between emulator and console runs, or restrict emulator use to specific categories.

While emulators can offer conveniences such as save states or input recording, these features are typically prohibited in real-time speedrun attempts unless explicitly allowed by the category rules.

Extended SuperSlide (ESS)

Originally used to refer to the trick that allows very fast travel speed in Ocarina of Time, the term "ESS" usually now refers to the position on the control stick that must be held for it to work, which actually has uses for almost every 3D Zelda title. ESS position involves holding toward any direction with the control stick a very small amount, at just the point where Link starts to shuffle or turn in place. It can be used for many tricks in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, to maintain and prolong superswim speed in The Wind Waker, to item slide and superswim in The Wind Waker HD, to "brakeslide" (run backwards while maintaining speed) in Twilight Princess, and to slide with great speed through quicksand in Skyward Sword.

Exploration Glitch (EG)

A class of glitches in A Link to the Past that allows Link to move through unintended areas of the game world by breaking how the game tracks room layers and movement. Many rooms in the game contain multiple vertical layers, such as upper ledges and lower floors, and Link briefly enters a special transitional state when moving between them.

Exploration Glitch is commonly performed by saving and reloading while Link is in this transitional state, causing the game to incorrectly preserve it after loading. While affected, the game may misinterpret Link’s position relative to solid ground, allowing him to be pushed into walls, move beneath rooms, or access unintended loading zones. By navigating these spaces, players can reach areas such as Ganon's room or the Triforce room far earlier than intended. Multiple variants of Exploration Glitch exist, differing in execution method and difficulty, but all are characterized by enabling large-scale exploration and major Sequence Breaks.

Extreme Rules

A highly restrictive challenge category in The Legend of Zelda, based on a ruleset originally created by Kareshi.

The category forbids the use of glitches of any kind, including Dungeon re-entry to unlock Doors, Block or Ladder clips, screen or Map wraps, Recorder-related exploits, item duplication, or using Up+A to keep the Bait item after using it. Any run that passes through a block or intended boundary for any reason is invalid.

Severe item restrictions apply: no Swords, extra Hearts, Potions, Rings (Red or Blue), Boomerangs, Book of Magic, Magic Key, Magic Shield, or Red Candle. The Blue Candle is banned except in Second Quest, where it is allowed; similarly, the Power Bracelet is only allowed in Second Quest. All Dungeon Maps and Compasses must be obtained, both Bomb upgrades must be collected, and the Silver Arrow is required.

Combat and progression requirements include defeating every Boss and Mini-Boss, visiting every room in every Dungeon, and avoiding defeating overworld Enemies entirely.

G

Ganonless

An Ocarina of Time speedrun category in which the game must be completed without fighting Ganon. This is accomplished by Wrong Warping or using Arbitrary Code Execution (ACE) to warp straight to the end credits.

Ganon Source Requirement (GSR)

A category in Ocarina of Time that requires defeating Ganon after first completing all of the tasks that are normally required to reach and fight him, being obtaining Magic, Zelda's Lullaby, the Quiver, the Shadow and Spirit Medallions, and the Light Arrows.

Glitchless

A category intended to complete the game without the use of glitches or unintended behaviors. Because the definition of a “glitch” can be ambiguous, Glitchless categories are typically governed by a community-agreed ruleset that specifies which techniques are considered acceptable. These rules usually focus on how a technique is performed rather than the outcome it produces, allowing skips or optimizations that do not rely on clearly unintended mechanics.

Gold Split

A gold split, otherwise known as a best segment or gold, refers to a segment of a run completed by a runner that was done faster than any previous time the runner has done that segment.

H

Hinox Warp (HW)

Hinox Warp (HW) is a speedrunning glitch in Link's Awakening for Nintendo Switch that causes Link to warp across screens by interrupting a Hinox's grab animation at a specific moment while Link is taking damage. This causes the Hinox to throw Link to an unintended location, often placing him much closer to the end of a dungeon.

Hinox Warp is commonly used to skip large portions of dungeons or overworld traversal, and is notably applied in dungeons such as Bottle Grotto (Dungeon 2) and Eagle's Tower (Dungeon 7). Because the outcome can depend on timing and internal game behavior, the glitch often involves an element of randomness.

I

Item Slide

Item Sliding is a trick that can be performed in The Wind Waker HD. It allows Link to travel at exponentially increasing speeds and even superswim by holding an item such as the Grappling Hook or the Hookshot in first-person view, walking forward, pausing the game, holding the ESS position downward, then unpausing. This can skip many portions of the game, and can also crash the game if done incorrectly.

L

Low%

In a Low% speedrun, the goal is to beat the game with as few items as possible, in as little time as possible. If a run is faster than another, but obtains more items, then the slower run takes priority due to the lower amount of items. What counts as an "item" is decided upon by the specific game's speedrunning community.

M

Major Glitches (MG)

A category that allows the use of glitches which significantly alter intended game behavior or progression.

Major glitches commonly involve large Sequence Breaks, unintended access to areas or events, or direct manipulation of game state, and may include techniques such as Arbitrary Code Execution, Stale Reference Manipulation, debug features, or other forms of memory manipulation, depending on the game. Because of their impact, Major Glitches categories are typically distinct from both Glitchless and more restricted glitch categories.

Medallions, Stones, & Trials

A category in Ocarina of Time that requires defeating Ganon after first obtaining every Spiritual Stone and Sage Medallion, as well as dispelling the barrier in Ganon's Castle by completing all six trials.

N

New Game Plus (NG+)

New Game Plus (NG+) is a glitch used in Ocarina of Time 3D. It is combined with a glitch called Bottle Adventure, which manipulates the player's B button to have an item other than the sword. When in a Bottle Adventure, the NG+ glitch can be performed by quitting to the title screen while either riding a horse or fishing. Upon starting a new file, the player will have the same item on B as in the Bottle Adventure.[1]

This glitch has various speedrunning benefits depending on the item placed on B. Having Farore's Wind on B will allow the runner to Wrong Warp into the credits, thus ending the run.[2]

NG+ allows for the fastest Any% runs. However, "Any% NG+" is considered a distinct speedrunning category from regular Any%.

O

Out-of-Bounds (OoB)

A term used to describe any state in which Link moves outside the intended playable boundaries of the game world. This can include walking beneath rooms, passing through walls, or entering areas that are not meant to be accessible during normal game-play. Out-of-bounds movement is often enabled by glitches, unusual collision behavior, or incorrect handling of position data.

Being out-of-bounds can allow access to unintended loading zones, alternate room entrances, or normally unreachable areas, and is frequently used to perform skips or major sequence breaks.

Q

Quickspin

The act of making Link perform a Spin Attack quickly by spinning the control stick and pressing B. In The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword, a jump attack or a backflip can be followed up by an automatic quickspin by spinning the control stick (or shaking the Nunchuk/left Joy-Con in Skyward Sword) mid-jump with Link's sword unsheathed.

R

Real Time Attack (RTA)

A run completed in real time in one sitting. Savewarping is typically allowed.

Remote Code Execution (RCE)

A class of exploits in which the player is able to make the game run custom or player-controlled code. While similar in outcome to Arbitrary Code Execution (ACE), RCE is usually distinguished by how the code is introduced, often involving external setup or special execution methods rather than only reusing existing in-game data. Because it can bypass nearly all normal gameplay, RCE is typically separated into its own category.

Reverse Bottle Adventure (RBA)

See ZeldaSpeedRuns's page on Reverse Bottle Adventure

Restricted Major Glitches (RMG)

A category that sits between Glitchless and Major Glitches, allowing some powerful glitches while explicitly banning others. Restricted Major Glitches categories are designed to preserve certain aspects of intended progression or challenge while still permitting significant Sequence Breaks. The exact techniques allowed or disallowed are defined on a per-game basis, and often exclude the most extreme forms of memory manipulation or game state control.

Reverse Dungeon Order (RDO)

Reverse Dungeon Order (RDO) is a challenge-style speedrun category in which the player is required to complete a game’s major Dungeons in the opposite order from normal progression. The category emphasizes unconventional routing, advanced planning, and the use of sequence-breaking techniques.

RDO categories are most commonly associated with The Ocarina of Time and Ocarina of Time Master Quest, though the concept can be adapted to other games with a defined Dungeon structure.

As an example, in Ocarina of Time, the reverse Dungeon order is typically defined as:

Spirit → Shadow → Water → Fire → Forest → Jabu-Jabu → Dodongo’s Cavern → Deku Tree

RNG

RNG refers to luck. The full meaning of the abbreviation is "Random Number Generation", which refers to how a program, such as a game, uses random numbers to recreate the effect of luck or chance.

Rooster Adventure (RA)

A glitch in Oracle of Seasons that allows access to areas earlier than intended by overloading the game's object memory with Roosters. The game has a limited number of object slots available to load entities such as NPCs, cutscene triggers, and interactions. By causing an excessive number of Rooster objects to persist across screens, these slots can be filled completely.

When all valid object slots are occupied, certain required objects—such as cutscene triggers—fail to load. This can prevent mandatory events from occurring, allowing Link to enter locations like Onox's Castle without triggering the associated cutscene. Rooster Adventure is characterized by object persistence and memory saturation rather than direct code execution, and enables major Sequence Breaks through manipulation of how the game loads and manages objects.

S

Save and Quit (S&Q)

Save and Quit (often abbreviated as S&Q) refers to the act of manually saving the game and then quitting to the Title Screen in order to reload the file. In speedrunning, this mechanic is commonly used as a time-saving technique.

When permitted, Save and Quit can be used to reposition Link more efficiently than traveling normally. Reloading a save places Link at a predetermined location, which can be exploited to skip backtracking or Overworld movement. In A Link to the Past, saving and quitting allows the player to choose whether to respawn at Link's House or the Sanctuary, making S&Q a core routing tool in many categories.

Savewarp

Consists of saving and resetting the game to "warp" back to a checkpoint, such as a Dungeon entrance.

Segmented Run

Segmented Run refers to a speedrun that is completed across multiple recorded segments rather than in a single continuous play session. Each segment may be recorded separately, allowing the runner to retry sections, optimize individual parts, or continue at a later time, with the final run presented as a stitched-together video or set of timed segments.

Segmented runs are often used to showcase theoretical best performance, advanced strategies, or highly optimized execution that would be extremely difficult or impractical to achieve in one sitting. Because mistakes can be corrected by re-recording a segment, these runs emphasize perfect play over consistency.

In many speedrunning communities, segmented runs are tracked separately from real-time, single-segment categories and are not eligible for standard leaderboard placements. However, they are still valued for routing development, strategy discovery, and as demonstrations of what is possible under ideal conditions.

The defining characteristic of a Segmented Run is the ability to pause, reset, or retry between segments. This distinction is why Segmented Run is treated as a separate category from Single-Segment Run, rather than a variation of it.

Sequence Break

A technique or exploit that allows the player to complete objectives, access areas, or trigger events out of the intended order defined by the game's normal progression. Sequence breaks may be achieved through glitches, advanced movement, item interactions, or unusual game mechanics, and their acceptance depends on the category rules.

A well-known example is Barrier Skip in The Wind Waker, where players bypass the barrier guarding Ganon's Tower without completing the Triforce quest. Sequence breaks range from minor skips that save small amounts of time to major progression changes that redefine a route entirely.

Single-Segment (SS)

A Single-Segment (SS) run is a speedrun completed as one continuous progression from start to finish, without reloading earlier points or stitching together separate attempts. While typically performed in real time, some communities allow pauses or extended breaks during exceptionally long categories, provided the run resumes from the same game state and no gameplay is redone.

Single-segment runs are the standard format for most speedrun categories and leaderboards, emphasizing consistency, execution, and decision-making under live conditions. Unless otherwise specified, a category is generally assumed to be single-segment.

Single-segment runs are distinct from Segmented Runs, which allow sections of gameplay to be retried, re-recorded, or assembled from multiple attempts. Even when breaks are permitted, a run remains single-segment as long as all gameplay occurs in one uninterrupted sequence of progress.

Skip

A general term used to describe avoiding or bypassing a specific obstacle, requirement, section, or objective during a run. A skip may involve glitches, advanced movement, item usage, or even intended mechanics, and does not necessarily change the overall progression order of the game. Skips range from small time-savers, such as avoiding a puzzle or cutscene, to larger actions that remove entire sections of gameplay. Whether a skip is allowed depends on the category rules.

Split

A segment, or specified portion, of the run being performed as indicated by timing software.

Stale Reference Manipulation (SRM)

A memory-based exploit in which the game is tricked into using a reference to data that no longer exists or has changed, causing it to behave in unintended ways. By carefully controlling when objects, actors, or values are loaded and unloaded, players can redirect the game to read or write incorrect information, often resulting in large skips or abnormal behavior.

SRM is most famously used in Ocarina of Time to trigger effects such as Wrong Warping to the End Credits or altering game state, and it forms the foundation for more extreme techniques like Arbitrary Code Execution. Because of its power and complexity, SRM is often restricted or placed in separate categories.

See ZeldaSpeedRuns's page on Stale Reference Manipulation and Arbitrary Code Execution

Storage

Storage is a glitch in The Wind Waker that is done by pulling out the Wind Waker at the same time the Forest Water expires or, more commonly, by cancelling the Wind Waker conducting exactly 3 frames before landing from a Wind Waker Dive. The latter method is dubbed "Dry Storage." The glitch "stores" the next cutscene or text encountered. This has various effects on gameplay depending on what was "stored." Effects of storage include, among others, walking up walls, clipping through doors, and superswimming.[3]

Superslide

A glitch that can be performed in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask by rolling into a bomb as it explodes, targeting, and holding ESS position, resulting in Link moving backwards at a very high speed.

Superswim

A glitch that can be performed in The Wind Waker and The Wind Waker HD that allows Link to travel at incredibly high speeds across the ocean. In The Wind Waker, this can be done using Dry Storage or by manually inputting the required back-and-forth analog stick directions (Manual Superswim, or MSS). In The Wind Waker HD, it can be done using Item Sliding or with MSS.

T

Time Attack (TA)

TA refers to performing a run in segments, rather than being in one sitting. It is less common than RTA and is usually seen with longer runs.

Tool Assisted Speedrun (TAS)

A Tool-Assisted Speedrun is a speedrun on a rerecording emulator made with savestates, slowed down, and frame advanced in order to create the most optimal time possible, or to demonstrate a concept, idea, or challenge.

Twitch

The most common livestreaming platform that speedrunners use to broadcast their runs.

U

Up+A

A save-and-quit technique in The Legend of Zelda performed by opening the pause menu and pressing Up and A on the second controller. This immediately saves the game and exits to the Title Screen. Upon continuing, Link restarts either at the beginning of the current Dungeon or at the Overworld start location, depending on where the save occurred. Because it can be used to reset position or avoid consequences such as item consumption, the use of Up+A varies by category and may be allowed or banned depending on the ruleset.

W

Windbomb

See Bomb Impact Launch (BIL)

Wind Waker Dive

A trick in The Wind Waker that allows Link to fall as he uses the Wind Waker (Item), which can be done by climbing up certain terrain or ledges and pulling out the Wind Waker on the final frame of the climbing animation. This trick can be used to clip underneath the bounds of an area for certain skips, as well as lead into Dry Storage.

Wrong Warp

A glitch in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask which manipulates the game's internal entrance table and allows Link to be transported to an entirely different location in the game, including the end credits. There are several ways to perform the trick, such as using Stale Reference Manipulation (SRM) or Farore's Wind, for example.

Z

Zombie Hover

Zombie Hovering is a trick that can be performed in The Wind Waker. If Link has his Sword out and dies in such a way that he is first knocked down, there is a short period of time between when he gets back up and when he dies that the death can be interrupted by a jump attack. This jump attack is very short and quickly results in Link hitting the ground again and dying. However, if the B button is mashed repeatedly quickly enough, Link will continue to perform short jump attacks in quick succession, making him gain vertical height. This essentially allows Link to fly, with the condition that he must be able to regain any amount of health somehow before he lands on solid ground again. This can be done either by landing on a heart, a fairy, or using the Tingle Tuner to give Link health mid-hover.

External Links

References

  1. Creating an NG+ File , ZeldaSpeedRuns.
  2. B Item Benefits , ZeldaSpeedRuns.
  3. Storage , ZeldaSpeedRuns.